A mentally-ill British man who was shot in a Pakistan prison is too unwell to be returned to jail, according to doctors.

Mohammad Asghar, 70, was targeted in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi last week, where he faced the death penalty after being convicted under blasphemy laws.

The Edinburgh grandfather, who was jailed in January after writing letters to a number of people claiming to be the Prophet Mohammed, has been in intensive care in hospital since the shooting.

Pakistani authorities have attempted to move him back to the prison where the incident occurred, according to legal charity Reprieve.

The charity said local doctors had confirmed its concerns that Mr Asghar is too ill to be returned to the prison.

Kate Higham, an investigator at Reprieve, said: "While it is a relief that Mr Asghar is not being sent back to prison immediately, he is still far from safe from further attempts on his life.

"The only way we can be sure of his safety is to have him returned to Britain.

"He is a deeply vulnerable, mentally-ill man who should never have been put through this appalling ordeal - the British Government must redouble its efforts to have him returned to his family in Edinburgh."

Scottish external affairs minister Humza Yousaf has said the Scottish Government is doing everything within its power to help Mr Asghar.

He said First Minister Alex Salmond had ''directly intervened in this case'' and had held face-to-face talks with Muhammad Sarwar, the governor of the Punjab, the region of Pakistan where Mr Asghar is being held.